The Journey of Life

The prophet in me causes me to see almost everything in a prophetic realm. The day after Thanksgiving a group of 27 of us from our family and friends started out to Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights. Opryland Hotel opened this month after being closed due to flooding, from the terrible floods that devastated Nashville. This is a huge property, that is now better than ever and exceedingly beautiful with all the lights and decorations of Christmas. Poinsettas were all over the conservatory, as well as lights and Christmas trees. Opryland hosts a light and water show that my children wanted their great grandma and children to see. I hate crowds, but, because I am the grandma, I decided to brave the hundreds of people I knew would be there, for the sake of my grandchildren.



Our large group parked half a mile from the hotel and walked, because of the parking fees (again, I went along with the group) and we trekked through the crowds and cars, in 38 degree tempertures. Our group ranged from the ages of 1 year olders to a 78 year old great grand-mother. With assistance, we all made it to the hotel. We arrived inside the conservatory where some of the group found a bench to park themselves for the duration of the time we were in the hotel. The others started out to find the light and water show. When we arrived at the spot where the water show had always been, we stood in the perfect place to not miss any detail of the show. Something in me wondered if we were in the right place and I asked the teen to ask information when the show would start and if we were in the right place. To my deep disappointment, we found out that in the process of the renovation the show was moved to the Delta area and we were in the Magnolia area, which meant more walking.



I asked the teen to grab a map (our Bible is our guide through life)and let's go. She became our trusted guide. We began to trek through hundreds of people, determined to see the light show. The more we walked, climbed up stairs, down stairs, moving through crowds of people, strollers, and wheel chairs, we began to get confused where we needed to go. So the teen asked for help from a staff worker (the Holy Spirit is our helper and guide) we saw. Through all this walking, we found we were no where near where we needed to go (so much like life; we sometimes find ourselves off course from where we want to be). So we, recalulated (like a GPS) and continued to go forward.



My daughter said, "mom, we started out as a large group but now there are only six of us." That struck me like a ton of bricks for we know many are called but few are chosen. It is so much like life. We start out strong, many professing Christ and their devotion to the Church, but during the rough journey of life, they began to fall away. I can think of many who started their Christian life with me, who are no longer serving God because of life difficulties and disappointments. We could have easily stopped, but by now, the six of us were determined and focused to make it to our destination. We were now resolved to move through the crowds, go up and down more stairs to finish the course we started. We finally arrived, only to see little spurts of water sprouting up. We found ourselves a seat on the stairs as I wondered how long I was going to sit before leaving because, at this point, it really didn't seem worth staying after so much walking, but I thought, if I have come this far, I am going to see this thing through.



The teenager told me it was time for the show to start and then we began to hear the music. The show was awesome with beautiful Christian music. The crowd oohed and awed at the lights, music and the tricks of the water. The show was worth every step we took and every stair we climbed. But the strange thing was, only six of us made it out of a group of 27. Let me tell you about our little group that made it. There was my two year old granddaughter, who walked every step from the car to the water show, as she held my hand. A six month pregnant waoman and her 7 year old daughter, the 18 year old guide, her mom, who had suffered from a headache earlier and a bad knee and then me, who have a bad knee that felt like a hot searing poker was being stuck in my leg with every stair I climbed. But we made it to the show.



After the show was over, we left the area and ran into most of the other group who started out with us and was trying to make it to the water show. The teenager looked at the schedule and informed them that they had missed the last show of the night The other group was so disappointed because they had walked a long way but had missed the show. We were hoping that everyone could have seen the show because it was spiritually fulfilling.



Here's the point that was hammered into the group that made it. The race isn't given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to those who endure. Our spiritual life is the same way. No matter what or where our Chrisitan journey takes us, we have to stay focused because of the prize at the end. Our final destination is the Kingdom of God, and rejoicing in the presence of God. We will go through many trials, suffering, disappointments, sacrifices, ups and downs, before we sit at the feast of the Lord, but, the prize will be well worth it. Don't stop, keep trudding through life no matter what. One thing I didn't mention. On our jouney to the show, we were on beauty overload with the beauty of the scenery. There was beauty everywhere and we would occasionally stop to look and take a picture of something that caught our eye as we made our way to the show. One of the greatest graces God gives us in our physical journey in life is the ability to stop and smell the roses, enjoy the things He has made for our pleasure, like mountains, oceans, water falls and people we love. Although we are to keep or eyes focused on God, He gives us many awesome things to enjoy along our journey of life.

The journey of life can be filled with disappointments, illnesses, rejections and abandonments, but, when all is said and done, we will look at the things we have had to endure in this life as we stand before the Lord and ponder in our hearts that, it was all well worth it, as we hear Him say, well done My good and faithful servant; enter in.